calculator : Computer Hardware Buyers’ Glossary

Hand-held calculators are a mature technology. They are durable. They work the way you would expect.
The batteries last a long time. Many models are solar powered.
They are not that expensive any more. The biggest problem is buying a calculator that has so many features you get confused.
Programmers want to be able to work in hex and octal. That is not a standard feature in calculators.

This is solar powered scientific calculator that does the necessary programmer and scientific/mathematical tasks you would want including hex, binary, octal and bitwise logical functions. It is not programmable, though it can do some statistical functions. It calculates accurate to 12 digits and displays up to 10. That will display 32-bit ints quantities, but not 64-bit longs. It is quite inexpensive and known for unusual durability. You can read the manual online to learn precisely what it can do. Compare it with its brothers to be sure you have the best fit. Be careful, just because another calculator is more expensive does not mean it has all the same programmer features.

Scientific graphic calculator with 15-colour display. 320 × 240 pixels. Do not confuse with the TI84 Plus which has a black and white display and smaller memory. It works internally to 14 significant digits, and displays 10 digits. 8-line by 16-character display. 3 MB flash ROM memory for storing formulas. Uses math textbook notation. Shell comes in black, green, pink, white, blueberry, denim, gold, lightning, plum, radical red and silver. Oddly, different colours are different prices. It is not solar powered. It uses a non-standard rechargeable battery, included. USB port. Programmable in Basic and ASM. This as not a programmers’ calculator. It cannot do hex. Oddly, if you buy a ten pack, instead of giving you a discount, they charge you considerably extra. specs. manual.